Bollywood finally gets Gen Z representation right with the new film Kho Gaye Hum Kahan (2023), directed by Arjun Varain Singh. The filmmakers know their target audience and they manage to make the film toe the line between preachy and relatable – keeping the viewers hooked until the end.
We are introduced to three 20-something-year-olds; Ahana (Ananya Panday), Imaad (Siddhant Chaturvedi) and Neil (Adarsh Gourav) through a montage of photos and videos of their life – which look like an Instagram reel, something very apt in today's entirely virtual world. While figuring out life in the chaos of their careers, relationships and their friendship, the premise revolves around their addiction to social media and how it affects them.
Imaad is a stand-up comic who – while fighting his inner demons – manages to make his audience laugh with his candid jokes about the life of today's generation. It is heartwarming to see his journey throughout the film. Kalki Koechlin’s Simran, his love interest, helps add layers to his touch-and-go life; which creates a sense of sympathy for his character.
Neil is a gym trainer with dreams bigger than his best friend's apartment in Bandra. His story seems two-dimensional, and his bundle-of-stereotypes girlfriend does not help. His character arc of going from an aspirational guy to a cyberbully to a man with a near-perfect life seems unreal, and something of an oversimplification. It's also hard to believe that his actions have no consequences, and the audience ends up pitying him.
Ananya Panday dazzles as Ahana Singh, who is a young woman stuck in a job she doesn’t like and hung up over an ex-boyfriend who abruptly left her. Her storyline is her attempt at self-growth, and the realisation of how one doesn't need to be interesting on social media to have a worthy life (clichéd, I know).
The songs – which may not be the biggest hits – have meaningful lyrics that are in sync with the tone of the film. The visuals also create a mood for the film, complementing the highs and lows of the storyline. The film is a fine combination of Gen-Z slang and reality checks – which succeed in impressing young viewers.
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